1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for locking running gear guided in rails, according to the preamble of patent claim 1.
2. Description of Related Art
For the purpose of dividing or styling rooms or in order to close off room or window openings, use is often made of glass or wooden walls, screens, doors or counters, which are fixed and possibly rotatably mounted on running gear which can be displaced along a rail.
Normally, these parts, referred to below as dividing elements, can be displaced between two end positions, at which the running gear strikes a buffer device provided in the rail.
A buffer device of this type, which is shown in FIG. 8 and described in EP 0 733 766 A2 and WO 00/55460, has a buffer element 031 which is locked in the rail 5 by means of a mounting screw 035. The buffer element 031 bears a resilient part 037, which serves as an end stop for the body 11 of the running gear 1. A spring element 036 is also held by the buffer element 031 and, with the running gear 1, forms a snap-in connection as soon as said running gear strikes the resilient part 037. In the process, the bent spring element 036 is lifted over a central part of a running wheel 13 belonging to the running gear 1 and clamps the latter firmly as soon as the running gear 1 reaches the resilient part 037.
In order to displace a dividing element 90 which is firmly held in this way and, in the configuration of FIG. 8, is connected to the running gear 1 by a fixing device 91 and a connecting screw 15, the dividing element 90 is firstly released with a small push or jolt.
The device described is therefore suitable for holding dividing elements but not for firmly locking or closing them.
In order to close off rooms in a secure manner, dividing elements are therefore often provided with bolts or sliders which, in the closing position of the dividing elements, can be displaced, for example, in closure devices connected to the masonry.
However, the mounting of closure devices on internal or external walls made of masonry entails a considerable amount of work. Because of the relatively soft insulating materials which are used nowadays and which are applied to the masonry, it is barely possible for closures or closing plates, etc., to be anchored to the masonry with the required stability. Therefore, providing reliable security against unpermitted access can barely be achieved by means of these closing devices. In addition, closures or closing plates which are mounted on the masonry for the most part appear to be esthetically disruptive.
For the purpose of subdividing relatively large rooms, halls or auditoriums, use is also made of foldable dividing elements 902, 903, 904 which are connected to one another by means of hinges 905, as shown in FIG. 9. These dividing elements 902, 903, 904 are locked by being aligned in a straight line and, for example, being locked by means of a door lock 906 after an associated door 901 has been closed. This design with a closeable door is likewise very complicated and often does not meet the existing requirements. The use of closures or closing plates which are mounted on the masonry is also possible in the case of the foldable dividing elements 902, 903, 904, but is afflicted by the same disadvantages.
The right-hand dividing element 904 can also be connected, by means of hinges 905, to an adjacent frame 1000. However, in this case it can no longer be displaced.
The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a device for locking running gear guided in rails which is not afflicted with the deficiencies described.
This object is achieved with a device which has the features specified in claim 1. Advantageous refinements of the invention are specified in further claims.
The device according to the invention, which is used to lock running gear guided in a rail and is or can be connected to the latter, has a body in which a locking pin is displaceably mounted and, by means of a resilient element, is held resiliently in a first position, so that the locking pin can be brought by the action of a force from the first position, in which it can engage in a locking element connected directly or indirectly to the rail, into a second position, in which it is released from the engagement in the locking element.
The locking device, which is constructed simply and cost-effectively, therefore permits the secure closure of dividing elements, such as sliding doors, sliding counters or folding walls, which are guided by the running gear. The device can be actuated in a simple way, manually or electromagnetically. It is particularly advantageous that parts of the closing or locking device, such as closing or locking plates, no longer have to be mounted on the masonry but are integrated in the rail.
The locking element can be part of the rail which is present in any case or, preferably, of a buffer device which is mounted in the rail and which normally stops a dividing element in the position in which it is also to be closed. The solution according to the invention therefore combines the locking and closing and the buffer function in one configuration.
By means of a possible form-fitting connection between locking device and locking element, reliably secured closure of dividing elements is achieved. This results in reliable intrusion protection, without a lock being needed.
The locking device can also be mounted subsequently, avoiding material-removal machining, on ironmongery components or on the body of an item of running gear.
The locking device and the associated locking element are located within the running rail and therefore do not appear to be disruptive either. The part for the manual operation of the locking device, a line, a cord or a chain, is mounted on the locking device and is automatically pushed away when it is opened and then cannot be seen or gripped from the outside either. Furthermore, electromagnetic actuation of the locking device is possible, which permits the central control of the locking devices.
In a preferred refinement, provision is also made that the locking device can be changed over in a simple way between a first state, in which the locking device always closes automatically, and a second state, in which the locking device does not close.